Aims. The aim of this study was to gain an agreement on the management of idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) up to walking age in order to provide a benchmark for practitioners and guide consistent, high-quality care for children with CTEV. Methods. The consensus process followed an established Delphi approach with a predetermined degree of agreement. The process included the following steps: establishing a steering group; steering group meetings, generating statements, and checking them against the literature; a two-round Delphi survey; and final consensus meeting. The steering group members and Delphi survey participants were all British Society of Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery (BSCOS) members. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis of the Delphi survey results. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation checklist was followed for reporting of the results. Results. The BSCOS-selected steering group, the steering group meetings, the Delphi survey, and the final consensus meeting all followed the pre-agreed protocol. A total of 153/243 members voted in round 1 Delphi (63%) and 132 voted in round 2 (86%). Out of 61 statements presented to round 1 Delphi, 43 reached ‘consensus in’, no statements reached ‘consensus out’, and 18 reached ‘no consensus’. Four statements were deleted and one new statement added following suggestions from round 1. Out of 15 statements presented to round 2, 12 reached ‘consensus in’, no statements reached ‘consensus out’, and three reached ‘no consensus’ and were discussed and included following the final consensus meeting. Two statements were combined for simplicity. The final consensus document includes 57 statements allocated into six successive stages. Conclusion. We have produced a consensus document for the treatment of idiopathic CTEV up to walking age. This will provide a benchmark for standard of care in the UK and will help to reduce geographical variability in treatment and outcomes. Appropriate dissemination and implementation will be key to its success. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(6):758–764

Our goal was to evaluate the use of Ponseti’s method, with minor adaptations, in the treatment of idiopathic clubfeet presenting in children between five and ten years of age. A retrospective review was performed in 36 children (55 feet) with a mean age of 7.4 years (5 to 10), supplemented by digital images and video recordings of gait. There were 19 males and 17 females. The mean follow-up was 31.5 months (24 to 40). The mean number of casts was 9.5 (6 to 11), and all children required surgery, including a percutaneous tenotomy or open tendo Achillis lengthening (49%), posterior release (34.5%), posterior medial soft-tissue release (14.5%), or soft-tissue release combined with an osteotomy (2%). The mean dorsiflexion of the ankle was 9° (0° to 15°). Forefoot alignment was neutral in 28 feet (51%) or adducted (< 10°) in 20 feet (36%), > 10° in seven feet (13%). Hindfoot alignment was neutral or mild valgus in 26 feet (47%), mild varus (< 10°) in 19 feet (35%), and varus (> 10°) in ten feet (18%). Heel–toe gait was present in 38 feet (86%), and 12 (28%) exhibited weight-bearing on the lateral border (out of a total of 44 feet with gait videos available for analysis). Overt relapse was identified in nine feet (16%, six children). The parents of 27 children (75%) were completely satisfied.

A plantigrade foot was achieved in 46 feet (84%) without an extensive soft-tissue release or bony procedure, although under-correction was common, and longer-term follow-up will be required to assess the outcome.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1721–5.

The Ponseti method of treating club foot has been shown to be effective in children up to two years of age. However, it is not known whether it is successful in older children. We retrospectively reviewed 17 children (24 feet) with congenital idiopathic club foot who presented after walking age and had undergone no previous treatment. All were treated by the method described by Ponseti, with minor modifications. The mean age at presentation was 3.9 years (1.2 to 9.0) and the mean follow-up was for 3.1 years (2.1 to 5.6). The mean time of immobilisation in a cast was 3.9 months (1.5 to 6.0). A painless plantigrade foot was obtained in 16 feet without the need for extensive soft-tissue release and/or bony procedures. Four patients (7 feet) had recurrent equinus which required a second tenotomy. Failure was observed in five patients (8 feet) who required a posterior release for full correction of the equinus deformity. We conclude that the Ponseti method is a safe, effective and low-cost treatment for neglected idiopathic club foot presenting after walking age

Aims

Radiological residual acetabular dysplasia (RAD) has been reported in up to 30% of children who had successful brace treatment of infant developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Predicting those who will resolve and those who may need corrective surgery is important to optimize follow-up protocols. In this study we have aimed to identify the prevalence and predictors of RAD at two years and five years post-bracing.

Aims

We aimed to determine hip-related quality of life and clinical findings following treatment for neonatal hip instability (NHI) compared with age- and sex-matched controls. We hypothesized that NHI would predispose to hip discomfort in long-term follow-up.

Most centres in the United Kingdom adopt a selective screening programme for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) based on repeated clinical examination and selective ultrasound examination. The Newborn Infant Physical Examination protocol implemented in 2008 recommends a first examination at birth and then a second and final examination at six to ten weeks of age. Due to concerns over an increase in late presentations we performed a retrospective review of our 15-year results to establish if late presentation increases treatment requirements. Of children presenting before six weeks of age, 84% were treated successfully with abduction bracing, whereas 86% of children presenting after ten months eventually required open reduction surgery. This equates to a 12-fold increase in relative risk of requiring open reduction following late presentation. Increasing age at presentation was associated with an increase in the number of surgical procedures, which are inevitably more extensive and complex, with a consequent increased in cost per patient. The implementation of an opportunistic examination at three to five months could help to reduce the unintended consequences of the Newborn Infant Physical Examination programme.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:846–50.

Children with congenital vertical talus (CVT) have been treated with extensive soft-tissue releases, with a high rate of complications. Recently, reverse Ponseti-type casting followed by percutaneous reduction and fixation has been described, with excellent results in separate cohorts of children with CVT, of either idiopathic or teratological aetiology. There are currently no studies that compare the outcome in these two types. We present a prospective cohort of 13 children (21 feet) with CVT of both idiopathic and teratological aetiology, in which this technique has been used. Clinical, radiological and parent-reported outcomes were obtained at a mean follow-up of 36 months (8 to 57). Six children (nine feet) had associated neuromuscular conditions or syndromes; the condition was idiopathic in seven children (12 feet).

Initial correction was achieved in all children, with significant improvement in all radiological parameters. Recurrence was seen in ten feet. Modification of the technique to include limited capsulotomy at the initial operation may reduce the risk of recurrence.

The reverse Ponseti-type technique is effective in the initial correction of CVT of both idiopathic and teratological aetiology. Recurrence is a problem in both these groups, with higher rates than first reported in the original paper. However, these rates are less than those reported after open surgical release.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:274–8.

The incidence of clinically significant avascular necrosis (AVN) following medial open reduction of the dislocated hip in children with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) remains unknown. We performed a systematic review of the literature to identify all clinical studies reporting the results of medial open reduction surgery. A total of 14 papers reporting 734 hips met the inclusion criteria. The mean follow-up was 10.9 years (2 to 28). The rate of clinically significant AVN (types 2 to 4) was 20% (149/734). From these papers 221 hips in 174 children had sufficient information to permit more detailed analysis. The rate of AVN increased with the length of follow-up to 24% at skeletal maturity, with type 2 AVN predominating in hips after five years’ follow-up. The presence of AVN resulted in a higher incidence of an unsatisfactory outcome at skeletal maturity (55% vs 20% in hips with no AVN; p < 0.001). A higher rate of AVN was identified when surgery was performed in children aged < 12 months, and when hips were immobilised in ≥ 60°of abduction post-operatively. Multivariate analysis showed that younger age at operation, need for further surgery and post-operative hip abduction of ≥ 60° increased the risk of the development of clinically significant AVN.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:279–86.

We describe three cases of infantile tibia vara resulting from an atraumatic slip of the proximal tibial epiphysis upon the metaphysis. There appears to be an association between this condition and severe obesity. Radiologically, the condition is characterised by a dome-shaped metaphysis, an open growth plate and disruption of the continuity between the lateral borders of the epiphysis and metaphysis, with inferomedial translation of the proximal tibial epiphysis. All patients were treated by realignment of the proximal tibia by distraction osteogenesis with an external circulator fixator, and it is suggested that this is the optimal method for correction of this complex deformity. There are differences in the radiological features and management between conventional infantile Blount’s disease and this ‘slipped upper tibial epiphysis’ variant.

We reviewed the results of a selective à la carte soft-tissue release operation for recurrent or residual deformity after initial conservative treatment for idiopathic clubfoot by the Ponseti method. Recurrent or residual deformity occurred in 13 (19 feet) of 33 patients (48 feet; 40%). The mean age at surgery was 2.3 years (1.3 to 4) and the mean follow-up was 3.6 years (2 to 5.3). The mean Pirani score had improved from 2.8 to 1.1 points, and the clinical and radiological results were satisfactory in all patients. However, six of the 13 patients (9 of 19 feet) had required further surgery in the form of tibial derotation osteotomy, split anterior tibialis tendon transfer, split posterior tibialis transfer or a combination of these for recurrent deformity.

We concluded that selective soft-tissue release can provide satisfactory early results after failure of initial treatment of clubfoot by the Ponseti method, but long-term follow-up to skeletal maturity will be necessary.

We treated 15 hips (15 patients) with developmental dysplasia by a single-stage combination of open reduction through a medial approach and innominate osteotomy. The mean age of the patients at the time of operation was 20 months (13 to 30). The mean follow-up period was 9.6 years (4 to 14).

At the final follow-up, 14 hips were assessed clinically as excellent and one hip as good. Radiologically, ten hips were rated as class I, four as class II and one as class III according to the criteria of Severin. No avascular necrosis was seen. No patient required subsequent surgery. Our results indicate that satisfactory results can be obtained with the single-stage combination of open reduction by the medial approach and innominate osteotomy for developmental dysplasia of the hip in a selected group of children older than 12 months. To our knowledge, no similar combined technique has been previously reported.

We studied 24 children (40 feet) to demonstrate that a physiotherapist-delivered Ponseti service is as successful as a medically-led programme in obtaining correction of an idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus deformity. The median Pirani score at the start of treatment was 5.5 (mean 4.75; 2 to 6). A Pirani score of ≥5 predicted the need for tenotomy (p < 0.01). Of the 40 feet studied, 39 (97.5%) achieved correction of deformity. The remaining foot required surgical correction. A total of 25 (62.5%) of the feet underwent an Achilles tenotomy, which was performed by a surgeon in the physiotherapy clinic. There was full compliance with the foot abduction orthoses in 36 (90%) feet. Continuity of care was assured, as one practitioner was responsible for all patient contact. This was rated highly by the patient satisfaction survey.

We believe that the Ponseti technique is suitable for use by non-medical personnel, but a holistic approach and good continuity of care are essential to the success of the programme.